"Iron Master... I... I don't understand... please forgive my stupidity, are you referring to your own ideal country?"
"That's right... that's right."
"That's great, Iron Lord! We can start from here, smash this old Imperium that we hate, and build your kingdom on his ruins. All Iron Warriors will follow your ideals to the end."
"No... not to destroy this Imperium. I mean, we will become part of Imperium, you understand?"
"Become part of Imperium? Iron Master... I... I don't understand..."
Drau was very confused. He didn't understand how Perturabo's temperament changed drastically in just 20 years. His countless memories and experiences told him that no one could hate Imperium more than Perturabo.
Drau participated in the siege of the Imperial Palace, and Drau also participated in the siege of Imperial Fists by Iron Cage. During Medrengard, he also tried his best to complete various indicators issued by the above, from slave minerals to technological equipment, he fully satisfied them.
For more than ten thousand years, he lived for Perturabo and for the ideas he hated Imperium. He burned, killed, looted, burned cities and destroyed land, and killed more than 100 million Imperial Army people.
More than 20 years ago, Perturabo left Medrengard with a fleet, and then never came back. No matter how Iron Warriors searched for it, there was no news. You must know that in the past ten thousand years, Perturabo Ke has never left the fully enclosed Iron Blood. Although Perturabo has never ordered them anything, just looking at the shadow of Iron Blood from a distance is enough to make Iron Warriors feel at ease.
More than 20 years of disappearances have resulted in nothing but chaos and panic.
At that time, all Iron Warriors thought that they had let Perturabo down. They were not strong enough and had not yet implemented Iron Within, Iron Without's creed. So In order to eliminate the weak, the extreme faction of Iron Warriors launched a vigorous brawl in Medrengard. Only Iron Warriors who survived the hammer of war can meet the expectations of Perturabo.
Drau survived this war and proved himself Iron Within, Iron Without with countless corpses and blood. Then he responded to Abaddon's expedition and tried to use Cadia's destruction to severely damage Imperium, thus making his father happy.
But now, his Gene-Father suddenly appeared in front of him, wearing a new outfit, and said that he had joined Imperium and became a lackey under Corpse Emperor.
How can Drau accept this? How can Drau accept this?!!
Drau's mood quickly slipped from confusion to anger. The eyes under the helmet were full of incomprehension and doubt about Perturabo's contradictory behavior.
Eventually this emotion turned into anger, and anger leads to bravery. Drau, who was respectful in the iron-hard and cold shadow of Perturabo, finally broke out, just like Perturabo who had been ignored by the Emperor and other brothers, he roared at Perturabo with all his strength.
"Why father! Why do you do this!"
Drau's voice, which was full of sadness, unwillingness, resentment, and endurance, made Perturabo cringe. He had repeatedly ridiculed Fulgrim's sentimental attitude toward Emperor's Children, but he never thought that he would be in such a predicament.
"Listen to me, I can explain everything." Perturabo tried to appease Drau's emotions. He had never done such a thing before, and Lord of Iron, who always grasped the overall situation, seemed at a loss.
"Explain?!" Drau howled as if crying. He had never seen Perturabo look so weak before, "Father! Where is your toughness? Where is your coercion? I can no longer see these qualities in you! Wearing strong iron, Iron Within, Iron Without! This is what you taught us, but now you have turned your back on your choice to destroy Imperium!"
"Yes! I betrayed you!" Perturabo shouted angrily, embarrassed by such a reprimand from a recruit, not to mention the damn Rogal Dorn standing next to him.
Perturabo strode forward, his big hands grabbed Drau's shoulder armor, and pulled him up from kneeling on one knee. Iron Hands could be beaten by Perturabo's Such contact almost made Drau faint from happiness, but his heart still remembered Perturabo's crazy words before. He tried hard to stay awake and stared at Perturabo's face.
"Listen, Drau. Iron Warriors has made too many mistakes, and the main reason for these mistakes is not you, but me." Perturabo said sincerely, "Because of my problems, you can only endure I have suffered too much unnecessary pain. Now I understand my mistakes and correct them. I will also work hard to correct you. While there is still a chance, let us return to Imperium and continue to fight for the ideal of human beings conquering Milky Way."
Perturabo shut up, his face was very ugly, and those words just now were simply too rough. When his brain thought about these words several times, Perturabo felt that he could say it better, but now he had nothing to say.
Drau was stunned. He stared at Perturabo for a long time and murmured to himself.
"If it's all your fault... then my captain's death was in vain... Heavy gunner Xiside...Basusi brothers... and Olympia mortals who cried to us... cold and ruthless? Indestructible? Like steel?"
Drau is quiet.
Just when Perturabo thought that his rough words made Drau understand, Drau, who was as stiff as a statue, started to move.
He put his hands and mechanical tentacles on Perturabo's arms, and then struggled to push Perturabo's hands away from his shoulder armor.
While he was doing this work, he said coldly to Perturabo, "War is clear, cold, ruthless, and blind. I will be as indestructible and unstoppable as steel - and most importantly, ruthless. I will be what Perturabo wants me to be, an heir that he is proud of, an heir that he will even cherish."
Taking Perturabo's weak hand away completely, Drau finished his last sentence, "My father is steel, he is cold and cruel. He made us wear strong armor, Iron Within, Iron Without. And your weakness has shamed my steel-like father."
A plasma shot hit Perturabo's face. Warsmith Drau proved with his actions that he would be as strong as steel, and in the strength Perturabo expected, regret was an absolutely impossible word.
Perturabo was disturbed by Drau's words. His face and lips were as pale as weakness, and his eyes that were always calculating were full of confusion and frustration.
The plasma ball hit Perturabo's face, and the pain caused by the high temperature was far less than the pain caused by the regret in his heart.